Refrigerator



Feb. 18,l 1941. G J HOPKINS 2,232,237

REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 'evrge JJZoPl'lcw m'nea. BY

JMW ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 18, 1941. G,'J HOPKINS 2,232,237

REFRIGERATQ'R y Filed Oct. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENToR. 'cge I Hplu.:

W l ATTORNEYS.

para@ at. is, im

, v v2.232,2."7 l

, REFRIGEBATOB George lfllopkinsrkendallvillellnd., assigner to McCray Refrigerator Company, Kendsllviile, lInd., a corporation of Indiana Applicants octab'er 19, 193s; serum. 235,111

z calms. (ci. 24o-s) The present invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to illuminatedv display refrigerator cases.

The primary objects ofthe invention are to provide a maximum of illumination within the case from a minimum of electrical energyexpended; to provide novel and` effective means for utilizing the light from a horizontal row of incandescent bulbs to illuminateupper and lower shelves within a refrigerated display case; to provide a means of illuminating the interior of the case without passing the light rays through a pane or panes of glass which would thus detract from the quantity or the quality of the illumination; to provide illuminating means Ifor a display case which eliminates the possibility of glare in the eyes of an observer; to provide the novel combination of fluorescent light bulbs within refrigerated spaces; and, to provide an illuminated display refrigerator case improved in certain other respects hereinafter appearing.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display refrigerator case embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional View thereof on line 2--2 of Figure 3, on a scale reduced from that of Figure 3 but enlarged over thatv of Figure 1; Figure 3 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view on lines 3-3 of Figures l and 2: and

Figure 4 is an-enlarged fragmentary sectional v view on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Referring then vto these drawings wherein likevv parts of the structure shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the display refrigerator case there shownv is provided with a glazed front wall IU whose triple spaced panes of glass Il provide dead"air" insulation i2 between the interior 'and exterior of the case and aord customers visibility of merchandise displayed therein. 'I'hese panes of glass Il are secured in the window frame l2 of the case in spaced relation to each other as by U-shaped spacers I4 disposed between adjacent panes, all as best seen in Figure 3.

The rear wall of the case is provided with conventional sliding doors 'Il disposed on tracks Il in the rear wall of the case and having similar triple spaced panes of glass I1 therein. These doors I5 when in theirv closed positions, seal the opening in the rear wall of the case to thus com-- plete the insulation of the region within the case. l

This region within the case is refrigerated by conventional coils II suspended from the inside top of the case and a drip plu Il secured to the inside front and rear walls'y of the case is suspended below the cooling coils l2 to carry off water of condensation. 5

Supporting bars 2l secured to the inside front and rear walls of the case support a lower shelf 2l which slopes forwardly-downwardly and extends the length of the case. A second or upper shelf 22 may if desired and as shown be made in 10 two sections 22a and 22h, `the sections being supported at their inner ends by a supporting arm 23 secured to the inside rear wail of the case and supported at their outer ends by brackets 24 secured to the inside end walls of the case. is The upper shelf 22 likewisev slopes forwardlydownwardly.

A dual-walled deflector-2l disposed in parallelism with and at approximately the same level y the upper shelf 22, extends the length of the 20 case and is supportedatitsaeenterby an Lshaped bracket 28 secured to the supporting arm 23, the ends thereof being supported by screws 21 pass-'- ling through flanges 22 on the deflector and the light bulbs 2l from a suitable source v(not so shown). The outer wall 44 of the dual walled deflector 2l conceals the means of attaching the deflector to the L-shaped bracket 2l and the brackets Il to the defiector. y

A plate 21 having anges 2l secured tothe under side of the drip pan I. extends' the length of the case andis provided on its under side with a light reflecting surface such as a coating of white porcelain. l l

It will be seen that the lower shelf 2| and merchandise supported thereby are directly illuminated by light rays from the bulbs 2l as indicated by broken ,arrows Il. The upper shelf 22 and merchandise thereon is illuminated by light rays from the bulbs 2l reflected from the porcelain coated under side of the plate Il as indicated by broken arrows Il.

The detector 2l deiiects light rays from the direction oi' the glased front wall il of the case andthese deiiectedrayslikewisefall upon the lower shelf 2| ss indicated 'by a Noken'srrowll. 'mus the interior of the case and the merchandise on display therein are illuminated by light rays from a source in proximity thereto. and inasmuch as the intensity of light on the illumi- Il nated surface varies inversely as the square of the distance from the source, a relatively small amount of light at the source suffices to brightly illuminate the case.

'I'he light rays furthermore are not impeded nor reflected by intervening panes of glass as in earlier constructions, and the source of illumination is concealed from the eyes of observen so that glare is entirely eliminated.

Although the present construction may satisfactorily be used with ordinary filament light bulbs, the invention contemplates the use of fluorescent light bulbs whose heat emanation is' relatively low and whose light emanation is relatively high as contrasted to the ordinary filament bulb, and which iiuorescent bulbs may therefore be utilized within the refrigerated region without materially interfering with the refrigeration thereof.

It will thus be seen that effective and eillcien` means are provided for illuminating the interior of a display refrigerator case, that novel means are provided for illuminating vertically spaced shelves from alight source in proximityto 'said shelves and that the possibility of glare in the eyes of prospective customers has been elimi- While butone 'specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that Ycertain details lof the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as the same is defined by the following claims. f

I claim:A

l. Inadisplaycasehavingaglasedwallanda' refrigerated region insulated from the atmosf' phare, a pair of vertically spaced shelves'in said region visible from the exterior of the case through said glazed wall and adapted to support merchandise for display. an overhead light reflecting surfacey above the upper shelf. illuminating means consisting of a sourcelof light and dis. posed within said refrigerated region at approximately the level of the upper shelf, and a defiector adjacent said illuminating means and interposed between the latter and said glazed wall, a portion of the light rays from said illuminating means being deflected by said defiector from the direction of the glazed wall to the lower shelf, another portion of the light rays being cast directly on the lower shelf, and still another p0rticn of the iight rays impinging against the overbead reflecting surface and being reflected from said light reflecting surface to the upper shelf.

'2. In a display case having a glazed wall and a refrigerated region insulated from the atmosphare,l a pair of vertically spaced shelves in said region visible from the exterior of the case through said glazed'wall and adapted to support merchandise for display. a supporting arm mounted on the case intermediate the ends thereof and serving as a support for the upper shelf, a defiector disposed parallelly with and at approximately the level of said upper shelf said defiector having its ends secured to the opposite end walls respectively of the case and being supported intermediate its ends by said supporting larm, said deector further having an upstanding portion forwardly of the upper shelf and a portion extending rearwardly upwardly from said up- 'standing portion, illuminating means disposed rearwardly of said upstanding portion oi' the deilector and below the rearwardly upwardly extending portion of the deflector sothat a portion of the light rays from the illuminating means .are deflected vfrom the direction of the glazed fer' 

